This disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for enabling cost efficient monitoring using electronics and optics in cold climates.
Fiber optic distributed sensing systems were developed in the 1980s to replace older measurement systems composed of multiple individual sensors.
Fiber optic distributed sensing systems are commonly based on Optical Time-Domain Reflectometry (OTDR) and utilizes techniques originally derived from telecommunications cable testing. Today fiber optic distributed sensing systems provides a cost-effective way of obtaining hundreds, or even thousands, of highly accurate, high-resolution measurements and today find widespread acceptance in industries such as oil and gas, electrical power, and process control.
Cold climate areas in which oil and gas exploration is being done often require permanent monitoring solutions utilizing fiber optics and associated electronics and these have several challenges from a logistics and/or environmental perspective. Monitoring wells in Canada may be placed in marshes and access is only available in the winter when the ground is frozen. The available daylight is low and the location normally doesn't have infrastructure so power must be supplied through batteries and solar panels. Temperature may dip as low as −40 C in the winter posing challenges for electronics and optics in terms of operating temperature as many systems operate to a low end temperature of 0 C or maybe down to −20 C. Heating the electronics is costly as the power system with batteries and solar panels grows and may not be practical. Heating of the electronics/optics and heat absorbed by the solar panels and structure holding the solar panels may also concentrate heat to the sensing pad and thereby heat the ground faster than the surrounding area, causing an environmental impact. It is therefore desirable to have a more efficient system that minimizes the solar panels, batteries and environmental footprint, both mechanical environmental and visual while keeping the batteries and solar panels warm enough for efficient operation.
The systems and methods described herein address these needs.